Lavelle Prep Celebrates 6th Annual International Day

Lavelle Prep’s 6th International Day Celebration was a Huge Hit

By students Kyrah McFarlane and Dominique Santora

On Wednesday, March 21st, Lavelle Prep hosted its 6th Annual International Day. The event featured, many different types of food and cultures. People portrayed their culture in various creative ways including through dances, food, and even clothing.

6th Grade and High School Dance Teacher, Ms. Jackson and her students showcased three performances – two from the High School and one from the 6th grade. The 6th grade dance in particular, was a Haitian dance. As for the High School, one performance was from the Soca culture and the other was African. For the performances, some students wore cultural, colorful flags. 9th grader Callie Givens, a performer, said, “It was fun. We worked very hard, practicing and making sure it was perfect.”

The High school Arabic class also performed, singing and playing instruments. 10th grader Sophia Trujillo sang a song in Arabic that she was taught, and she was also dressed up in traditional Arabic culture.

Additionally, a 6th grade student, Diya Gupta, performed an energetic cultural Indian dance that evolved into the song, “Cheap Thrills” by Sean Paul and Sia while being cheered on by her family and friends.

The cafeteria was flooded with participants, guests and families who enjoyed the performances and food. Prepared by guests and teachers alike, the food included traditional Italian, Jamaican, Arabian, African, and Spanish dishes, among many others.

This event began six years ago, 2012 when High School team leader Ms. Ciechalski taught 6th grade. Originally, it was just a sixth grade event. “It was originally little and small, only the sixth grade. But then other grades asked to be involved,” Ms. Ciechalski explained. It then grew, because, “The Kids wanted to do more than just food, they also wanted to dance or sing to express their cultures.” This made Mrs. Ciechalski think to evolve the event to all grades and give them options to express their culture.